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Salomon Supertrek Fabric 6 GTX
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Price:
£90
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Weight: 1470g (size 43)
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Features Split
leather/Cordura upper, full Gore-Tex bootie, PU-coated
leather toe rand, polyurethane midsole with plyurethane
molded shank, Contragip outsole
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Fit medium width, medium volume.
Small for designated size.
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Stiffness (1 - 5 where
1 is floppy and 5 rigid) - 3
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Crampon Grade: B0
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Good for: general
hill walking, lightweight trekking, looking European, deep
puddles Okay for mountain use for fast movers and
scrambling Not much cop at use above the snow line,
reassuring stiff, leather boot junkies, hot
climates
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New last year, the Supertrek 6 is Salomon's entry to the fabric boot
knock out trophy, though like most 'fabric boots' much of the upper
is actually made from suede leather reinforced with Cordura, or is it
the other way round?
Like stablemate the acclaimed X-Adventure 7, the Supertrek feels
immediately right and the high-cut ankle gives it a more 'glove-like'
fit and feel on the foot, though it seems to be sized slightly
smaller with a marginally narrower toe. Also like the XA 7, the sole
is surprisingly stiff offering the sort of decent support on rocky
ground, that you don't always find from fabric boots with their more
flexible uppers.
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Grey areas are grippy, black
harder but
more durable
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Impressively for a 90-quid boot, the 6 gets a Gore-Tex waterproof,
breathable liner instead of the Salomon Clima Dry bootie and
subjectively I 'd say it's slightly more breathable than the
proprietary version, though I'd still not want to wear these - or any
other waterproof line boots - in truly hot conditions. In the UK
though, the liner keeps your feet dry and is worth having in a fabric
boot.
Other interesting touches is the 'one-touch' easy pull lace system
topped with a locking cleat at the ankle which clicks shut when
tension is applied to the laces. We were concerned that it might lock
up in muddy conditions, but so far it's not been a
problem.
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The upper lace hook locks in
position under tension
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Down below, gripping duty is done by a Contragrip sole, but a
different one to that used on the XA7. It's not quite as agressive
and doesn't grip quite as well on either snow or wet rock, despite
apparently using a dual-compound construction with a soft, grey,
grippier inner section complemented by harder, black rubber for
better wear at the edges. Rubberised toe bumper protects this
vulnerable part of the boot.
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Verdict: Salomon have done a good
job with their fabric boot and if what you're after is a
boot for UK and temperate trekking use below the snowline -
above it grip is not good - then the Supertrek 6 should
definitely be on your list of boots to try. It's also good
value with a full Gore-Tex bootie for 90 quid and the high
cut and glove-like fit makes it feel surprisingly supportive
for a boot with fabric uppers. Nice one.
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Performance
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Value
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Let's race over to the hyper-active Salomon web site right
now!
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Pushed for time:
Salomon have made a cracking job of their fabric boot.
Cut high with a Gore-Tex liner and stiff sole, it's
suprisingly supportive and effective as well as being
reasonably light. Slick lock-off lacing system has survived
so far. Only real 'con' is that the waterproof liner makes
it less comfortable in really hot conditions. Decent value
too.
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Your Opinion Here:
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e-mail us with a
summary and we'll post them here in this handy space at the bottom of
the page. If you have questions you can mail us direct, Ask
Richard Gear or try a posting to our gear forum.
